The Bad Boy Next Door

Jo paced her living room. Pete had only been gone two hours, and already all she could think about was Frank. Her body ached with the memory of how intense it had been with him, how it had been better than anything she'd ever known.

Finally, Jo made up her mind. She left her house, walking next door with determination. She couldn't keep yearning for him like this. It had to stop.

Once Jo got to Frank's door, she felt her strength and determination leave her in a rush. She stood nervously outside his door, trying to compose herself. The last time she'd been here she'd jumped him like an inmate who'd just seen the light of day for the first time in years, and then run off without any explanation. What could she say to him now? She started to leave, then stopped. She had to do this. Needed to… She knocked.

The time it took Frank to get to the door seemed like forever to Jo. She was shaking with nervousness, not sure of the reaction she'd get when he opened the door.

On the other side door, Frank was trying to calm himself. He'd seen Jo from the window coming over, and had been waiting for her to finally knock. Now that she had, he didn't know what to do. He contemplated pretending he wasn't home, but he realized she'd probably seen his car in the driveway. Besides, that was the coward's way out, and if there was one thing Frank wasn't, that was it. Finally, he opened the door, hoping he looked as nonchalant about it all as possible. "Hello, Jordan."

Jo looked up, her expression resembling that of a cat about to be pounced by a mouse. How could he be so calm? "Um, hi, Frank. Can I come in?"

Frank almost winced. She was back to calling him Frank. He didn't like that.His Jo called him Frankie..

"Might as well. Planning on throwing me around my living room again?"

Jo blushed straight up to her roots. "Um, about that…"

"Let's go in and talk, lov…Jordan."

Jo looked up, catching his quick change. It hurt, and she didn't want it to. "Okay."

Frank and Jo sat on opposite sides of his couch. "So, are you going to talk or stare at my floor all day?" Frank asked after a moment of uncomfortable silence.

"I used you."

"I sort of picked up on that."

Jo didn't look at him. "I thought Pete was cheating on me, and I…I wanted to get back at him. But it was all a mistake. He wasn't."

Frank tried to ignore just how much her confession hurt. "Oh."

"Frank…"

"Just go."

"Frank…I still…"

"Go!"